One of my favorite easy weekend meals when the family is busy is something that’s known as Forgotten Chicken. If you’re wondering why it’s called Forgotten Chicken, it’s because you can completely forget it in the oven for longer than the cooking time and still be OK. I know that I’m guilty of this myself, leaving this recipe in the oven for nearly 30 minutes longer than what the instructions called for and still had a meal that everyone enjoyed.

It’s one of the meals that’s perfect for a hazy weekend when you might be feeling under the weather or just mentally checked out in general. Another reason to absolutely fall in love with this recipe is because all of the ingredients are probably sitting in your house already. Everyone has water, and I don’t know anyone that doesn’t already have butter, salt and pepper ready to go.

As for the rest, most people will have rice in the pantry since it lasts forever, and cream of chicken soup since it’s cheap, can sit in the pantry for an extended period of time and will eventually come in handy. From there, you’ll just need some dry onion soup mix and boneless chicken, which are still pretty common and will only require a very short in-and-out trip to the store if you don’t have them.

Overall, it takes just a little more than an hour and a half from start to finish to make the Forgotten Chicken, and almost none of that time comes from the actual preparation. Instead, leaving it in the oven is where pretty much all of the time comes from, and even then you can allow it to cook for longer than 90 minutes if you find yourself busy.

One thing that’s certain to make sure that you don’t forget that your chicken is cooking is the smell. Then again, you might be enjoying the smell so much that you might just leave it in the oven for a little longer so it continues to fill the air in your house. Just make sure not to leave the chicken in the oven all night! That might produce a smell that you don’t really like, and could potentially be dangerous!

Forgotten Chicken is one of the first meals that I ever learned to make for myself as a beginner that was just getting settled into my own home, and it’s something that I still swear by today. This is a hearty meal that makes enough to fill up an entire family on its own, and you can add some sides if you want to make it an even more rounded meal! Vegetables on the side such as green beans or peas are a good way to go, and you can pick just about anything that you want.

If you don’t happen to have chicken in your refrigerator, another way that you can mix up the recipe is by substituting the meat. Some have said that pork chops make for a good substitute for the chicken, which I suppose you would call Forgotten Pork Chops!

No matter what meat you’re using, this is a classic family recipe that pretty much everyone seems to enjoy. It’s perfect for people who are busy, as well as people on a budget. Overall, you can feed a family of six people using this Forgotten Chicken recipe for just around $10. That’s a lot cheaper than going out to eat, even at a fast food restaurant! So if you want to save money and time while getting a nice healthy meal that the whole family will be devouring, stick to this easy Forgotten Chicken recipe and enjoy!

Cooking Directions:

Using a 9×13 baking pan, take your tablespoon of butter and grease the pan. Then, add in a cup of uncooked rice to the bottom layer of the pan.

In a separate bowl, pour in both cans of your cream of chicken soup and pour in 1 ½ cups of water, stirring them together. Then, pour the soup mixture (leave some of it) over the rice and allow it to stand for a few minutes (usually just three or four minutes).

Take your pieces of chicken and put them on top of the rice, adding in a teaspoon of both salt and pepper for taste. With the leftover soup mixture, pour the rest on top of the chicken and add the dry onion soup mix on top of that.

Cover the meal with aluminum foil and place it into your oven for 90 minutes. When the time’s up, check to see if the chicken is done cooking. If not, it could take up to another 30 minutes before it’s prepared. Continue to check on your chicken until it’s cooked thoroughly, placing it on top of the oven when it’s done.

Uncover the dish and allow it to sit for a few more minutes (around five minutes) and then it will be ready to go! You’ll have enough for six people, giving you both an entree and a side! If you want to add more sides to the mix, green beans are a good way to go! It’s all up to your preference and imagination, but it’s a dish that you’re sure to enjoy no matter what!